Abrading tool handle



March 28, 1961 s. e. NELSON ABRADING TOOL HANDLE Filed April 25, 1958 FIG. 2.

United States Fatent ABRADENG TOOL HANDLE Sterrett Graham Nelson, 1425 E. th Ave., Mount Dora, Fla.

Filed Apr. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 730,845

1 Claim. (Cl. 29-78) This invention relates to implements for cutting surfaces with abrasive tools.

While it has been heretofore proposed to provide a sharpening file with a rigidly connected handle at both the front and rear ends, nevertheless, tools of this type are only useful where the surface to be cut is completely exposed so that the user of the tool can use both hands during the cutting operation.

In many instances, such, for example, as in the procedure of sharpening the cutting blades of power-driven lawn mowers in situ, particularly those of the rotary type, it is diflicult to control the sharpening instrument to successfully reach the inner surfaces of the blades because the housing and its depending skirt deny ready access to the concealed surface, or, in other words, only one face of the cutting edge may be conveniently reached for treatment.

Accordingly, the object ofthe present invention is to provide a cutting tool having increased range of use by providing the front or lead end of the tool with a flexible manipulating portion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an abrasive tool having a rigid handle at one end and a flexible handle at the other end, thereby permitting the user to guide the cutting tool along the back or hidden surface of the blade after the flexible lead handle has been pulled over the blade of the edge to be sharpened.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure '1 is a perspective View of the improved abrading tool.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tool illustrating the application of the invention in a situation where the tool cannot conveniently reach the hidden surface of the edge to be sharpened.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the figures of the drawings.

The tool 1 may be a file, or other well known tool used for cutting surfaces of any type. At one end the tool is provided with a handle 2, rigid with the body of the tool so that it may be partially manipulated for the intended purpose.

The front end of the tool body 1 is provided with an opening 3 for receiving either end of a cable, chain, rope .or wire member 4 provided with an enlargement 5 at each end thereof to permit the user to more conveniently grasp the ends of said flexible member 4. This member 4 has enlargements at both ends, for reversal, so that all surfaces of abrading tool may be useful.

The flexible member may be of wire or any equivalent flexible material which will be strong and suited for the purpose.

When it is desired to sharpen the cutting blade B of a power lawn mower M, for example, wherein the upper side of the edges of the cutter C are substantially hidden by the housing and skirt S of the mower, the flexible member 4 is looped or sheaved over the hidden side of the blade, and the operator is then in a position with the aid of handle 2 to firmly reciprocate the sharpening surface of the tool 1 back and forth across the hidden side of the cutting edge under augmented pressure, thereby to sharpen the same to the degree desired.

The present tool completely obviates the removal of cutting blades which is one of the nuisances usually attendant upon the sharpening of lawn mower blades, as the blade may have to be chocked as shown at D, Fig. 2, to be held steady, and, for users not equipped with shop conveniences, it is difficult to unbolt the blades to bring them into position where an ordinary sharpening tool could be used.

With the present flexible member at the front end of the file, it is not only possible to guide the tool during the sharpening operation, but at the same time it enables the user to easily and quickly position the tool to work in an otherwise inaccessible place without dismantling the cutting blades from their drive shaft. The invention would also be useful in cutting hidden concave, convex,

rectangular and triangular surfaces when handle is anchored to round, concave, square and triangular abrasive tools.

It is obvious that various modifications, such, for example, as the above described, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, Figures 1 and 2 are intended to illustrate one method or one example only of anchoring the flexible handle to a cutting tool.

I claim:

As an article of manufacture, an abrading tool for operating on surfaces located in a relatively inaccessible limited space and hidden from view by surrounding parts, comprising, in combination, an elongated abrading body having abrading surfaces on opposite sides and an opening at one end through said body, a rigid handle at the end opposite the opening, and a flexible guiding and manipulating handle ofv a length to be grasped by the hand of the user and slidably fitted in said opening, and an abutment at each free end of the flexible handle to engage the related side of the opening to positively efiect reciprocation of the selected abrading surface of the tool under augmented pressure in the direction of its length and across the hidden surface of the edge to be sharpened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 44,724 Harvey Oct. 18, 1864 252,333 Smith Jan. 17, 1882 1,349,772 Kusutani Aug. 17, 1920 1,756,162 Minami Apr. 29, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,380 Russia Apr. 2, 1888 

